Dancing-figure toy



F. LETOURNEAU, DANCiNG FIGURE TOY,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1920 mama Feb. 15,1921. I Z SHEETS-SHEET I m, R m .0

3 izi, I w h M9 TJTRNEY.

9 5% mm FM m m a P 2 9 l 01 w y [LEA N H u w OHH T F uv NH B W DANCING-FIGURE TOY.

Application filed May 1,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANooIs Ln'roUR- NEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dancing-Figure Toys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved figure toy and an object is to provide a toy including a figure having pivoted legs and arms and mounted upon a spring arm of a fulcrumed bar, whereby upon striking one end of the bar with a maul and increasing or decreasing the blows, the figure toy will vibrate and the legs and arms will vary in movements in the act of. imitating clog dancing or buck-and-wing dancing.

Another object is to provide a toy of this kind which will create considerable amusement foe children as well as grown people and furthermore to provide a toy which is very simple, efiicient and practical in construction and capable of being cheaply made and sold at a reasonable profit.

Still another object is to provide a toy, wherein suitable means such as rubber bumpers or the like are interposed between the oscillatory board and the basein order to eliminate the noise incident to the oscillatory board being struck by a maul to cause the toy to vibrate and produce various dancing steps.

A further object is to provide a dancing toy of this kind wherein the oscillatory board is pivotally mounted with the figure toy disposed over one end of the board to holdsaid end normally in a downward position with the toy supported upon a spring arm projecting from the opposite end of the oscillatory board so that the striking of the end of theboard carrying the spring arm will cause the spring arm to vibrate and as the arm vibrates and the legs of the figure shake in producing various steps, the board under the feet will strike the feet and there fore vary the movements of the legs and feet of the figure toy.

Furthermore by the provision of the rubberbumpers the noise that would otherwise be created due to the striking of the oscillatory board with the maul 'willbe eliminated. W

A still" further object is the, provision of a cushion member adj aeent the fulcrum of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 378,201.

oscillatory board serving as a bearing and also thereby eliminating noise as the toy is in operation.

Additionally the invention aims to provide improved means for mounting the sprlng arm on the oscillatory board, said means being used as a striker block on the oscillatory board for the maul so that the blows of the maul will not engage the board which carries the spring arm.

While the design and construction at pres ent illustrated and set forth is deemd preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a re duction of the invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes, the invention maybe susceptible to changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed. V

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the toy with the dancing figure removed,

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the dancing toy, showing the maul 10 in position to strike the striking block,

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the figure toy, and

Fig. 4- is a side view of the body of the figure toy showing the various joints b tween the legs and arms with the body.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the forward portions of the upper ends of the legs rounded instead of angular to insure freedom of movement of the legs, should this construction be desired. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a base board which may be any suitable width, length and any configuration, preferably as shown, and which may be supported on any suitable support such as a table or the like. Mounted upon the board 1 is a pair of bearing blocks 2 having upwardly projecting parts 3 in which the fulcrum pin 4. is mounted. The fulcrum pin 4 passes through the oscillatory board or member 5 which is interposed between'the bearing blocks which are secured to the board 1 as at 6.

Secured to the oscillatory member or board 5 immediately adjacent the fulcrum pin and under the same is a rubber bumper or member '2 which is designed to engage the end 7 of the toy, are spaced a. short distance from 60.

board 1 in order to hold the fulcrum pin in engagement with the walls of the bearings of the parts 3. thereby eliminating the noise incident to the board 5 being oscillated. While the rubber bumpers or members 7 are used in the construction of the device when are used to rest upon table or the like it isvery essential to employ the rubber bumpers or members 7 in order not to scar the surface of the table. In fact, the bearing blocks may rest upon any suitable protecting means such as felt or the like so as to prevent the blocks from scarring or injuring the surface of the table.

One end of the board 1 is provided with a rubber bumper 8 to be normally engaged by one end of the oscillatory member 5. The other end of the board or base 1 has a rubber bumper 9 with which the opposite end of the oscillatory member 5 engages as said. member is struck with a maul such as shown at 10 in the drawings. By means of these bumpers 8 and 9 the noise which would otherwise occur incident to the movement of the member 5 in striking the opposite ends of the base 1 is eliminated.

Secured by suitable screws or the like 10 to the oscillatory member on one end thereof is a cross piece 11 the upper surface of which is covered with a rubber sheeting 12 so as to cushion the maul and eliminate the noise when in the act of imparting blows to the striking block or cross piece 11. The cross piece or striker block 11 has on its under face a channel 13 which receives the end 1 1 of aspringarm1o. The extremity of the end 141- of the arm 15 is bentdownwardly as at 16 and engaged into the oscillatory mem-- her 5 thereby preventing the arm 15 from twisting or turning. This spring arm extends from under the striker block and curves upwardly as at 17 and inclined at 18, then its extremity 19 terminates in a plane substantially parallel with the oscillatory member 5. The extremity of the part 19 of the arm terminates in a plate 20 which is securedby screws 21 to the body of the figure toy. In fact the extremity of part 19 of the spring arm terminates at a point over one end of the oscillatorymember 5 so that the figure toy may be supported over said 111a position sothat the heels of the feet the member 5, while the toe portions of the feet are barely in contact with the member 5,

that is when the spring arm is at rest.

In Fig. 10f the drawings, the figure toydressed in mens at is illustrated as being and 1- the figureis tire while in Figs. 3

shown with the clothing removed. The figure toy comprises a body 22 having a head 23 fixed thereon. The arms 2% are pivotally connected to the shoulders of the body by means of the screws 25, there being washers 26 between the arms and the body so that the arms can freely more. Each ofthe arms comprise two sections 26 and 27. "The section 26 is bifurcated as at 28 to receive the extension 29 of the section 27, there being a pivot pin 30 passing between the two sections in order to pivotally connect them.

' The lower partof the body 22 is provided with a pair of bifurcations 31 which receive the extensions 32 of the legs 34. A single pivotpin 35 passes transversely of the body cated at 37 in order to en a e the forward portion of the bottom walls of the bifurca tions 31 to avoid excessive movement of the legs in a forward direction. While the forward portions ofthe are of angular shape for the purpose of contacting with the forward. portions of the bottom walls of the bifurcations 31; to avoid excessive movement of the legs, the upper edges of these angular portions are spaced suiiiciently from the bottom walls of the bifurcations in order to permit of freedom of movement of the legs. However, it is obvious that these portions of theupper enos of the legs may be rounded as shown in Fig.

5 instead of angular in order to insure freedom of movement of the legs. Each of the legs consist of two sections 39 and 40. The

upper ends of the legs section 39 is bifurcated at 41 and engaging v dancing. The forward portions of theupper d0 of the legs areangu ends of the sections lar as shown at 44 in .order toabut the bottom wall of the bifurcations 41 of the sections 39 thereby avoiding excessive move-.' ment of the. sections 40 of the legs in a forward direction. a v

It will be noted that by using the maul shown in the-drawings in order that the en'. larged end of the maul may strike the buffer sheet on the striker block 11, the oscillatory member 5=will oscillate on its ful crum and cause the spring arm to vibrate. The vibrating [of the. arm willcause the figure toy to shake and the legsandarms thereof will tend to move in imitation of the various steps in clog and buck-and-Wing dancing. One end of the oscillatory memher 5 will strike against the feet of the figure toy and cause the legs to move in imitation of various dancing steps. It is to be noted that a toy of this kind will cause a great deal of amusement not only to children but also for grown people.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a toy as set forth, a base, an oscillatory member fulcrumed thereon, a yieldable spring arm connected to one end of the oscillatory member and extending upwardly and across the fulcrum of the member and terminating at a point over the other end of the member and provided with a figure toy on said free and unattached end, the end of said member to which the yieldable spring arm is connected adapted to be struck, whereby the arm and toy and the oscillatory member will move, said member cooperating with the feet of the toy, thereby causing the legs and arms of the toy to portray various dancing steps.

2. In a toy as set forth, a base, an oscillatory member fulcrumed thereon, a yieldable support connected to one end of the member and extending upwardly and over the fulcrum of the member and terminating in a free and unattached end, a loose jointed figure toy connected to said free and unattached end and supported over the end of the member opposite the end to which the yieldable support is connected, whereby as the end of the member carrying the support receives blows, the support and the figure toy will vibrate and the member will oscillate, all three cooperating to cause the legs and arms of the toy to imitate various dancing movements. 1

3.v In a toy as set forth, a base, an oscillatory member fulcrumed thereon, a yieldable support connected to one end of the memher and extending upwardly and over the fulcrum of the member and terminating in a free and unattached end, a loose jointed figure toy connected to said free and unattached end and supported over the end of the member opposite the end to which the yielda-ble support is connected, whereby as the end of the member carrying the support receives blows, the support and the figure toy will vibrate and the member will oscillate, all three cooperating to cause the legs and arms of the toy to imitate various dancing movements, and means for preventing the yieldable support from turning or twisting relatively to the oscillatory member.

a. In a toy as set forth, a base, an oscillatory member fulcrumed thereon, a yield-able support connected to one end of the member and extending upwardly and over the ful crum of the member and terminating in a free and unattached end, a loose jointed figure toy connected to said free and unattached end and supported over the end of the member opposite the end to which the yieldable support is connected, whereby as the end of the member carrying the support receives blows, the support and the figure toy will vibrate and the member will oscillate, all three cooperating to cause the legs and arms of the toy to imitate various dancing movements, cushioning members for the opposite ends of the oscillatory member, and cushioning means carried by the oscillatory member at a point adjacent its fulcrum in order to insure holding the fulcrum pin in its bearing against a rattling movement in its bearings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRANCOIS LETOURNEAU. 

